The invention relates to a perpendicular magnetic recording head and a method of manufacturing the same.
In recent years, surface recording density of a magnetic recording medium (hereinafter referred to as “recording medium”) represented by a hard disk has increased, and therefore an improvement in performance of a magnetic recording head has been desired. Accordingly, as a recording system of a magnetic recording head, in place of longitudinal magnetic recording of setting the direction of a magnetic field in an in-plane direction of a recording medium, perpendicular magnetic recording of setting in a direction perpendicular to the plane has been receiving attention. This is because it is possible to obtain such advantages that linear recording density increases, and a recorded recording medium is unlikely to be influenced by thermal fluctuation.
A magnetic recording head employing the perpendicular magnetic recording (hereinafter referred to as “perpendicular magnetic recording head”) includes, in addition to a thin film coil for magnetic flux generation, a magnetic pole layer for guiding the magnetic flux generated in the thin film coil to a recording medium, and the like. This magnetic pole layer includes a minute-width end portion (a magnetic pole) for causing a magnetic field for recording (a recording magnetic field). Various studies have been made for such a perpendicular magnetic recording head (for example, refer to specification of U.S. Pat. No. 8,300,359, specification of U.S. Pat. No. 8,400,732, and specification of U.S. Pat. No. 7,898,773.